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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · stem · calf · rule · bank · clip · dip · vault

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. clip — for paper
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bank — of a river
  5. clip — a video
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — a law
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — to cut
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rule — government
  20. stem — to come from
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com